JP4987295B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and more particularly to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that uses a Doppler effect of ultrasonic waves to diagnose a movement state of a body moving body such as blood or a movement state of a tissue.

  In circulatory organ routine tests, blood flow signals are used to determine whether the heart contracts and dilates and abnormalities in the valve disease, as well as evaluation of local left ventricular myocardial contraction and dilation function and local wall motion using wall (tissue) signals. An abnormality is being judged. In general, when performing the former and latter determinations, a blood flow analysis dedicated mode (PWD mode) for evaluating only blood flow and a tissue analysis dedicated mode (TDI-PW mode) for evaluating only wall (tissue) signals are used. Diagnose by switching. In this case, when the detected frequency exceeds the repetition frequency (± 1/2 PRF), the waveform is reversed as shown in FIG. Thus, for example, in order to change the waveform shown in FIG. 8B having a small amplitude or the waveform shown in FIG. Since it is necessary for the examiner to appropriately set the pulse repetition frequency (rate frequency) and the base line position according to the velocity (tissue velocity), operation time is required and a great burden is imposed on the examiner.

  Therefore, in recent years, the Doppler mode automatically adjusts the velocity range and base line position on the device side to display blood flow signals and tissue signals with various velocities and directions in an easy-to-read manner. The technique to do is disclosed (refer patent document 1). This technology automatically sets the repetition frequency and the base line position by detecting the signal existence region for the detectable frequency range, thereby reducing the burden on the examiner and significantly reducing the diagnosis time. it can. There are various algorithms for this automatic adjustment. By using this function, the complexity of the operation during the routine inspection can be greatly improved, and the inspection efficiency is improved. This automatic adjustment method can provide a Doppler waveform that is automatically adjusted by a user once pressing a switch arranged on a panel of a normal apparatus.

  However, the existing Doppler automatic adjustment function is only a function that analyzes the received signal and adjusts its speed range (repetition frequency), base line position, etc. in order to eliminate the waveform folding phenomenon of the received Doppler signal. In addition, it does not have a function of changing transmission / reception conditions in order to obtain a more optimal received signal with respect to the received signal.

In addition, since there is no function to determine whether the received signal is a blood flow signal or a tissue signal, a transmission / reception method for obtaining an optimal blood flow signal if it is determined as a blood flow signal is combined with an existing automatic adjustment function. There was no function to provide a transmission / reception method for obtaining an optimum tissue signal together with an existing automatic adjustment function if it was judged as a function to be provided or a tissue signal.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-308843

  An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of displaying an appropriate waveform without being conscious of the analysis modes particularly when blood flow signal analysis and tissue signal analysis are performed.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a determination unit that determines whether a received signal in a circulatory organ diagnosis region is a blood flow signal or a tissue signal, and a waveform related to the blood flow signal or the tissue signal. When the determination means determines that the received signal is the tissue signal, a scroll speed for scrolling the waveform display related to the tissue signal is scrolled to display the waveform related to the blood flow signal. And a change adjusting means for making a large change adjustment compared to the speed.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers and controls an ultrasonic transducer 10 and an ultrasonic probe 10 that transmits / receives ultrasonic waves to / from a subject (not shown). The transmission / reception unit 20, the signal processing unit 30 that performs signal processing of received ultrasonic waves, the system control unit 40 that performs overall control, the display control unit 50 that performs display control on the display unit 55, and an ECG (Electrocardiogram) Unit 60. In the present embodiment, the input unit 45 is, for example, an automatic adjustment function switch arranged on a panel (not shown).

  In the configuration as described above, the transmitter / receiver 20 receives the reference signal from the reference signal generator 25 and sends the drive signal to the ultrasonic transducer of the ultrasonic probe 10, and the ultrasonic probe 10. And a receiving unit 22 for inputting the received signal. The signal received and processed by the receiving unit 22 is input to the signal processing unit 30 and subjected to predetermined processing. The signal processing unit 30 is input to the B mode data generation unit 31 and the Doppler signal detection unit 32. The B mode data generation unit 31 generates B mode data based on the input signal. The Doppler signal detection unit 32 detects a Doppler signal among the reception signals output from the reception unit 22 and generates a color Doppler generation unit 33 that generates color Doppler data, and a Doppler spectrum generation unit 34 that generates a Doppler spectrum. Output. As a result, the B-mode data, color Doppler data, and Doppler spectrum are output from the signal processing unit 30 to the display control unit 50.

  The display control unit 50 includes a data storage unit 51 and a data processing unit 52. The data storage unit 51 temporarily stores each data output from the signal processing unit 30. Each data temporarily stored in the data storage unit 51 is subjected to various processes such as image processing and superposition in the data processing unit 52, converted into display data, and output to the display unit 55.

  With reference to FIG. 2, the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described. FIG. 2 shows a flowchart (FIG. 2 (a)) showing a flow of operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention and a state of display of optimum waveforms (FIGS. 2 (b) and (c)). FIG. 2A is all performed by the system control unit 40, and unless otherwise specified, the control is performed by the system control unit 40.

  First, based on the signal waveform on the monitor, the inspector recognizes the Doppler waveform (Step S1). If the inspector determines that adjustment of the speed range or the baseline position is necessary, an automatic adjustment function switch arranged on a panel or the like on the apparatus is turned on (step S2). In this case, the automatic adjustment function switch may be arranged at a place other than the panel. Also, without providing an automatic adjustment function switch, when the system control unit 40 determines that adjustment of the speed range or base line position is necessary, it behaves the same as when this automatic adjustment function switch is automatically turned on. It doesn't matter.

  When the automatic adjustment function switch is turned on, the signal characteristic determination algorithm in the first determination algorithm determines whether the received signal is a tissue signal or a blood flow signal (step S3). The determination algorithm will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a relative relationship between the blood flow signal and the tissue signal, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relative relationship between the left ventricular inflow blood flow signal and the tissue signal flow signal. From the graph of the signal intensity characteristics of the blood flow signal and the tissue signal in FIG. 3, the blood flow signal has a signal intensity that is generally about 30 to 40 dB lower than the tissue signal, and its frequency characteristic (speed characteristic) is distributed over a wide range. ing. From the frequency characteristic graph of FIG. 4, the frequency characteristic (velocity characteristic) of the tissue signal is very low (slow speed), and the movement of the tissue normally considered in echocardiography is about 10 cm / sec. The blood flow velocity is about 70 to 100 cm / sec. By using these characteristics, it is possible to easily determine whether the received signal is a blood flow signal or a tissue signal, for example, by setting a threshold value. It is possible to determine whether the received signal is a blood flow signal or a tissue signal.

  If it is determined in step S3 that the received signal is a blood flow signal, it is determined whether the blood flow signal does not cause a folding phenomenon or is appropriately displayed in the display area (step S4). If the blood flow signal is properly displayed in this determination (“No” in step S4), the completed waveform is displayed as it is without changing the repetition frequency or the baseline position (step S5, Step S8). In this case, even if the waveform display is appropriate, if there is a range gate at a depth position where signals can be received with higher sensitivity, the transmission / reception conditions may be changed. In general, if there is no problem with the frequency band of the probe, it is better to obtain a signal by transitioning to a lower frequency than the current transmission / reception frequency and repeating transmission / reception considering the attenuation characteristics of the ultrasound in the living body. A sensitive and beautiful waveform can be obtained.

  If it is determined in step S4 that the blood flow signal waveform is not appropriate (“Yes” in step S4), the blood flow waveform display optimization algorithm is activated (step S6), and at least one of the following items is listed. One is changed / adjusted (step S7). Note that all of the following parameter changes may be changed simultaneously, or a parameter that can be changed selectively according to the inspector's intention.

(1) Adjustment of speed range and baseline position.
(2) Change transmission / reception conditions to receive with high sensitivity according to the range gate position.
(3) Optimizing gain distribution to avoid saturation by determining the presence or absence of saturation in the signal circuit.
(4) Change of Wall Filter setting accompanying change of speed range.
(5) Change the scroll speed so that only the heart rate that is appropriately cut in the display, for example, 2 heartbeats and 3 heartbeats can be displayed in accordance with the Doppler waveform display method.
(6) Fine adjustment of the range gate width according to the received signal characteristics.
Thereby, an optimal blood flow waveform as shown in FIG. 2B is displayed (step S8).

  Next, in step S3, when it is determined by the signal characteristic determination algorithm that the signal is a tissue signal (“tissue signal” in step S3), the tissue signal does not cause a folding phenomenon or is appropriate for the display region. Is displayed (step S9). If the tissue signal is properly displayed in this determination, the completed waveform is displayed as it is without changing the repetition frequency or the baseline position (steps S10 and S13). In this case, even if the waveform display is selectively appropriate, the saturation allocation gain distribution may be performed again by determining the presence or absence of the saturation phenomenon in the signal circuit. In this setting, what is to be adjusted in accordance with the inspector's intention may be selected in advance.

  If it is determined in step S9 that the tissue signal waveform is not appropriate (“Yes” in step S9), the tissue waveform display optimization algorithm is activated (step S11) and can be changed in the same manner as in step S7. At least one of the parameters is changed / adjusted (step S12). In this case, the transmission / reception conditions may be changed in order to obtain a sharp and beautiful tissue signal waveform at the same time as appropriately adjusting the speed range and the base line position. It should be noted that since the received signal from the normal tissue is sufficiently sensitive, it is better to select a high frequency than the beam can be narrowed. In addition, since the tissue signal is usually at a speed of about 10 cm / sec, it is better to set a lower Wall Filter for removing clutter signals that are obstructive when viewing the blood flow signal. Further, when observing the tissue signal, since it is desired to clearly display both the diastolic signal and the systolic signal of the heart, the scrolling speed is set to be larger than that when the normal blood flow is observed. At the same time, it is preferable to set the range gate width to be larger than that during normal blood flow evaluation. Thereby, an optimal tissue waveform as shown in FIG. 2C is displayed (step S13).

  Conventionally, when a blood flow signal is diagnosed, various settings are manually adjusted or automatically adjusted after selecting the blood flow signal analysis dedicated mode as described above. When making a diagnosis, it was necessary to select the tissue signal analysis-only mode. On the other hand, in this embodiment, it is possible to provide an optimal diagnostic image for the examiner without being conscious of these two modes. Note that it is possible to determine whether the signal is a blood flow signal or a tissue signal using only the characteristics of the Doppler signal waveform, but at the same time, whether it is a blood flow signal or a tissue signal using color information and B information. May be determined. FIG. 5 is a characteristic diagram of parameter examples used when analyzing color information, and FIG. 6 is a characteristic diagram of parameter examples used when analyzing B information. In FIG. 5, speed information, power information, and distributed information can be used, and in FIG. 6, luminance information (Intensity) can be used.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when acquiring a Doppler signal, the range gate is set on the display in the B mode or the color mode, so the set range gate is arranged on the tissue. Or whether the so-called blood flow signal should be present in the heart chamber.

  As described above, according to the present invention, by utilizing the characteristics of normal blood flow and heart wall motion, it is always possible to perform mode transitions for completely different signals of blood flow and heart wall without performing mode transition for each. Optimal transmission / reception conditions, speed range, and zero shift position can be instantaneously provided. For this reason, the workflow in the cardiovascular routine inspection is simplified and the inspection efficiency is improved. In this way, by using their signal characteristics for blood flow and tissue, especially without intentionally switching between the blood flow analysis dedicated mode and the tissue analysis dedicated mode, an unreplaceable Doppler spectrum can be obtained. By providing the Doppler spectrum that is easy to see and instantly automatically, the burden on the examiner can be reduced and the diagnosis time can be shortened. In addition, the workflow in cardiovascular routine inspection is simplified, leading to improved inspection efficiency.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention at the stage of implementation. Further, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements.

  In addition, for example, even if some structural requirements are deleted from all the structural requirements shown in each embodiment, the problem described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and the effect described in the effect of the invention Can be obtained as an invention.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the ultrasonic diagnosing device concerning one Embodiment of this invention, and the mode of a display of an optimal waveform. The figure which shows the relative relationship of a blood-flow signal and a tissue signal. The figure which shows the relative relationship between a left ventricular inflow blood flow signal and a tissue signal flow signal. The characteristic figure of the example of a parameter used when analyzing color information. The characteristic figure of the example of a parameter used when analyzing B information. The figure which shows a mode that a return arises. The figure which shows a mode that a return waveform etc. are adjusted to an appropriate waveform.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Ultrasonic probe 20 ... Transmission / reception part 21 ... Transmission part 22 ... Reception part 25 ... Reference signal generation part 30 ... Signal processing part 31 ... B mode data generation part 32 ... Doppler signal detection part 33 ... Color doppler generation part 34 ... Doppler Spectrum generation unit 40 ... system control unit 45 ... input unit 50 ... display control unit 52 ... data processing unit 55 ... display unit 60 ... ECG unit

Claims (3)

Received signal definitive cardiovascular diagnostic region determining means for determining which of the signals of the blood flow signal, or tissue signals,
Display means for displaying a waveform relating to the blood flow signal or the tissue signal;
When the determination means determines that the received signal is the tissue signal, the scroll speed for scrolling the waveform display related to the tissue signal is greatly changed compared to the speed for scrolling the waveform display related to the blood flow signal. Change adjustment means to adjust;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: The determination means analyzes the B-mode information of the range gate position, and determines whether the received signal is a blood flow signal or a tissue signal;
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 . The determination means analyzes color information of a range gate position to determine whether the received signal is a blood flow signal or a tissue signal;
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 .

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